The worm wriggled slowly in the nutrient fluid, emitting a nauseating aura.
But with every wriggle, it seemed to carry a certain demonic rhythm, unconsciously drawing one's gaze.
"What is this...?" Haruri instinctively took a step back.
"This is an Amplification Worm I carefully cultivated."
Zouken held the jar up to Haruri's eyes. The worm seemed to sense the presence of a living person and twisted frantically against the glass.
"It is slightly different from the Crest Worms inside Kariya's body. It will not devour the host's life force to convert into magical energy. Instead, it stimulates the host's Magic Circuits, drawing their power into its own body..."
Zouken's voice turned sinister and low as he continued, "It will absorb the magical energy in your body, and then, acting as a medium, transfer that massive amount of magical energy to your daughter without any loss..."
"In that case, her total magical energy will skyrocket. Perhaps she won't have to overdraw her own body anymore, and can even use that Avenger's power without restraint."
"As for you, you will lose your magical energy and Mystic Eyes, but your life as an ordinary human will not be in danger."
"How about it? Is this what you want?"
Haruri stared fixedly at the fleshy red worm.
Disgusting, terrifying, dangerous.
Her instincts told her to stay away from this thing, to stay away from this crazy old man.
But...
The image of Sumire's pained face surfaced in her mind, along with her daughter's helpless gaze when facing a formidable enemy last night.
If she didn't do this, the next time Mr. Asuka encountered such a strong enemy, if his magical energy was depleted...
Sumire would die.
The moment this thought appeared, it overwhelmed all her fear.
"...As long as this is implanted, will it really help Sumire?" Haruri asked, her voice a bit hoarse.
"Of course, I never lie," Zouken said with a smile. "Think it over carefully. This is for our mutual victory, after all."
Of course, this worm couldn't possibly be as harmless as he claimed.
It could indeed amplify magical energy, but the price was overdrawing the host's mind and sanity. Once the magical energy was drained dry, it would directly turn the host into a puppet controlled by the worm.
But what did that matter?
To him, this was just a small bargaining chip added for the sake of ultimate victory.
Besides, wasn't this what she had begged for?
Haruri remained silent for a long time.
She looked at the wriggling worm, as if looking at her own fate.
Finally, she slowly reached out her hand, her fingertips touching the cold glass jar.
The hesitation in her eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a resolute determination to sacrifice everything for her child.
"I understand..." she murmured.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since the Kamado family moved into the Matou Manor.
During these three days, Fuyuki City maintained an eerie atmosphere.
Ever since the Hyatt Hotel explosion, the news had been flooded with reports about gas pipeline inspections and hazardous building checks, as if the fierce magecraft battle that night was merely a major safety incident.
But in the world of magi, the undercurrents had already converged into a flood about to burst its banks.
Inside the Matou family's library, a miracle was quietly taking place.
"The twelfth one..."
Zouken Matou stood in the shadows, his cloudy old eyes revealing an almost stuporous shock, so much so that he even forgot to press the pocket watch in his hand used for timing.
In the open space before him, Sumire Kamado sat cross-legged, her eyes tightly closed.
The red birthmark on her forehead appeared increasingly vivid under the surge of magical energy.
With every deep breath she took according to a specific rhythm, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to vibrate in tandem.
If the lecturers at the Clock Tower were to see this scene, their jaws would probably drop.
Sumire Kamado, who had originally been nothing more than an ordinary person, now possessed a rather mature flow of magical energy within her body.
Right now, the total number of circuits in her body had reached twelve.
Zouken Matou stared fixedly at the young girl, continuously muttering under his breath, "In just three days... going from three defective ones at the start to twelve fully formed Magic Circuits..."
"This is impossible. How could this be possible?!"
As a monster who had lived for hundreds of years, he naturally understood the difference between activating circuits and multiplying them.
This wasn't a case of the original twelve circuits being activated one by one, but a literal increase from three to twelve.
This was simply a joke in the world of magecraft.
Magic Circuits were innate, non-regenerative organs. This was an ironclad rule.
"...Even those prestigious families with a thousand years of heritage would need generations of bloodline accumulation to add a single circuit."
"This is simply... a miracle created out of nothing."
Of course, he didn't know that this wasn't Sumire Kamado's talent, but rather a certain wish-granting machine from another world unconsciously twisting causality.
"How do you feel, little girl?" Zouken asked, concealing the greed in his eyes and putting on the mask of a kind elder.
Sumire slowly opened her eyes.
She raised her hand, palm facing upward.
*Buzz!*
A pale blue sphere of magical energy, several times more solid than three days ago, instantly materialized. Inside the sphere, one could even faintly see air currents spinning at high speed, emitting a slight humming sound.
"I feel... great."
Sumire clenched her fist, and the mass of magical energy dissipated, blending into her flesh and blood.
Her luck was quite good; her magical energy happened to be of the Water attribute, which perfectly matched the magecraft Zouken Matou was familiar with.
"My body feels very light, and the burning sensation when that magical energy flows through my body has lessened a lot," she explained. "It's like... water naturally flowing down a riverbed."
"Hehehe... But of course," Zouken let out a raspy laugh. "Twelve circuits. Although the number still isn't considered top-tier, in terms of quality, you have already surpassed many second-rate magi."
"Coupled with the assistance of your unique Water Breathing, your magical energy conversion efficiency is astonishingly high... You truly are a child of miracle."
'If only I could claim this body for myself...'
The thought flashed through Zouken's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.
There was no need.
It wasn't that Zouken wasn't tempted by this body, but rather that a more beautiful future awaited him.
Compared to reaching the Root and becoming a Soul Reaper, achieving that state of endless life, a body from this insignificant world no longer appealed to him.
Right now, he needed to maintain this fragile alliance as best as he could...
"Alright, that concludes today's magecraft lesson."
Zouken turned around and walked toward the door. "Go rest. Overworking your body will only backfire."
"Yes! Thank you, Grandpa Worm!" Sumire replied energetically.
After Zouken left, Asuka, who had been leaning against the window guarding Sumire the whole time, finally walked over.
"Mr. Asuka!" Sumire jumped up excitedly, like a child who had scored full marks and was waiting for praise. "How was it? Did I get stronger?"
Asuka looked at her, his gaze somewhat complex.
He could clearly feel that the power within Sumire's body was expanding at an unreasonable speed.
That was certainly his wish, as well as Sumire's own hard work.
"Yeah, you've gotten stronger." Asuka stepped forward and gently patted her head. "But don't get too cocky. This is just the beginning."
"Hehe, I know!" she beamed.